Types of Floor Lamps

Picking a floor lamp: things to consider

At west elm, we know how important lighting is to the look and feel of a room. Every time you enter, the lighting sets the tone, creating the mood: is it soft and welcoming, colourful and party-like, or bright and all-business? Proud, stand-alone floor lamps make design statements all their own. Sleek, simple, and elegant, floor lamps blend well with many decors, from classic to contemporary, urban to rustic. They make excellent use of empty space and add height to seating areas. Adjustable lamps allow you switch back and forth between daytime decoration and evening ambiance: the same lamp that spreads an even glow around a room can be aimed to look directly at the book in your hand.

Types of floor lamps:

Globe floor lamps offer a modern take on the traditional lamp post, and they can literally 'round' out any room.

Arcing floor lamps are dramatic and beautiful, spreading a lovely, diffused light and adding an immediate modern touch. They're best positioned in a corner so that no one exiting or entering the seating area bumps their head. Perched next to a sofa or chair, an overarching lamp is a nice alternative to overhead lighting, casting a wide glow without having to be hardwired into the ceiling.

Industrial task floor lamps provide a warm glow and often have swiveling, double-jointed arms that allow light to be directed where it's needed. They're great for reading or working on a couch, recliner, or lounge chair.

Mid-century modern lamps follow the clean-lines, and pared-down look of the design aesthetic, and at west elm you'll find them in fine slimline form, including the inspired tripod.

How to decorate with floor lamps

Let west elm's floor lamps activate your inner designer. The light coverings alone are fun to play with. Classic linen shades in white and neutral hues work everywhere. Glass orbs open up the space, and you can adjust their tone simply by changing the bulb. Metallic shades add modern glint, creating interest and contrast in traditional settings. Lamp bases in nickel, bronze, and brass are sleek and stylish. Choose a lamp to bring contemporary flair to your formal decor, or urban funk into your country cottage.

Floor lamps can help create instant, appealing room corners. Just put one next to your favourite reading chair, add a lovely end table and a shimmering area rug. Use the same lamp to help spotlight your framed wall art. Watercolours, oil paintings, photographs, and hanging decorations come to life with the right illumination. The design elements enhance each other, and give the room richness and glow.

Use your floor lamp to match or mismatch colours! Rooms can feel more layered when you add the shock of something out of place. If your living area is all understated cream, add a floor lamp in sleek black and gold to surprise and delight. Choose a lamp that picks up the colours in your velvet cushions, not just your large sofa or recliner.

Best rooms for floor lamps

An overarching floor lamp is a natural choice for any living room: it provides convenient spot lighting for casual reading, acts as a centrepiece for friendly conversation, and stands alone as a decorative piece of furniture. Casual rooms like the den and basement are prime candidates for floor lamps, near the sofa where you settle in with a good book or watch your favourite movie. An industrial standing lamp will wake up your home office or study, particularly if your desk is covered with computers, phones, and files. If space is limited, choose a lamp with a small footprint but with enough light, height, and tilt to provide illumination where you need it.

Finally, wherever you place your west elm floor lamps, make the switch to LED. Compared to incandescent bulbs which use heat to create light, LED is a chip that creates light, not heat. LED bulbs use 75% less energy than regular bulbs, last 25 times longer, and are mercury free. The upshot is that LED light glows beautifully, lasts for ages, saves you money, and is kind to the planet: all qualities that we at west elm care about.

Floor lamps are an excellent way to add more light to rooms in your home, without using up valuable table space on your side tables or desks. Pick a style of floor lamp you like and choose the appropriate glow of light, and your choice of lighting will set the right mood for your home.